Sheffield Wednesday 1 Crystal Palace 3

Three goals in seven minutes gave Crystal Palace victory against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough as the Eagles put their injury worries behind them.

Palace began the game with a makeshift defence, missing

injured centre-backs Tony Popovic and Kit Symons, and with Hayden Mullins suspended. Sheffield United loan signing Sean Murphy filled in at the back, with Dean Austin and Curtis Fleming.

But it was Wednesday's defence that disintegrated on a shocking pitch at Hillsborough, as their mistakes on a slippery surface gifted Palace goals for Clinton Morrison, Dougie Freedman and Jamie Smith.

Morrison began the rout when he was left unmarked on the half-hour, and was found by Dougie Freedman's pass. He looked up and picked his spot past Paul Heald to fire home his first away goal of the league campaign; and the relief at breaking his duck away from Selhurst Park showed as he ran beaming over to the Palace bench to celebrate.

Five minutes later, Owls defender Ashley Westwood attempted a back-pass, but the ball stuck in the mud. Morrison swooped and scored from the tightest of angles near the byline. But although Wednesday had Westwood and Leigh Bromby on the line, they left it to Dougie Freedman, who bundled the ball in.

The Wednesday crowd rounded on Westwood for his double error, and they may well in doing so have contributed to the third goal. Booed loudly by his own fans, the defender hesitated on the ball on the right side of the field, and was robbed by Freedman crossed for Smith, who blasted his low shot past Heald, effectively killing the game off on 37 minutes. Wednesday came back on 41 minutes with a header by Efan Ekoku, but Palace dug in with a more defensive formation in the second half and held onto the points.

Former Owls boss Trevor Francis was pleased with his victorious visit and had particular praise for his forwards.

"They are very talented players. Their ability to score and create goals speaks for itself," he said